The Rebels
by crazychick14
Summary: Cyclonia won the Battle for the Atmos- but one girl is not okay with that. Meet Sparrow, a headstrong and brave sixteen-year-old girl who just may have the power to save the Atmos. But what happens when the Storm Hawks come along?
1. Chapter 1

**Due to a bad case of writer's block on I Will Try to Fix You, I had a little idea.**

**That idea turned into what you're (hopefully) about to read.**

**Just so you all know, I don't own Storm Hawks. I do, however, own my original characters, like the ones in this chapter. So, I hope you like it!**

* * *

"We need to stand and fight!"

The small crowd burst into applause, cheering and clapping for the young girl standing before them. No one knew her background, but they would know her name when they joined her. She was small and thin, dressed in a simple white shirt and black pants, with black, practical leather boots that laced up to her knees. Midnight black hair fell straight to the middle of her back, just past her shoulders. Ice blue eyes sparkled with life. She wore no jewelry, save for a golden chain around her neck, at the end of which a small crystal was fixed into a golden circle. The necklace ran to the middle of her chest, and she never took it off. Ever. She was no older than sixteen, and although her eyes were filled with life, the horrors she had seen in her life were evident there as well.

She began to lead the group- three people out of the ten that had chosen to stay on the small terra- to the forest. That's where the skimmers were. She hopped on one, and motioned for someone to get on behind her. A small boy, no older than ten, took the offer and hopped up, settling into the seat. The other skimmer was empty- she had simply brought it along for this purpose. Her other two new companions- a girl of about thirteen and another boy, who looked to be seventeen or eighteen, took that one.

The skimmers they rode were Switchblades- stolen from right under Cyclonia's nose. It wasn't easy- smuggling two Talon Switchblade Elites out of Cyclonia by yourself is never an easy task. But the new leader of the Rebels had managed. They flew to a nearby abandoned terra and landed. Once they did, the girl introduced herself to her new allies.

"My name is Sparrow," she said confidently. "I'm from Atmosia. Welcome to the Rebels. I'm sixteen years old, and Cyclonis took everything from me- which is why I want revenge. Now, I'd like to know your names."

The older boy stepped forward. He had blue eyes and brown hair, and was taller than Sparrow by at least a full foot. "My name is Carmine," he said. "I'm eighteen. This is my younger sister, Robin."

Robin nodded at Sparrow. She had Carmine's eyes, but her hair was jet black. She was a few inches shorter than Sparrow. "I'm thirteen," she said quietly.

Sparrow nodded. "Welcome." She then knelt in front of the youngest member of the group. "And what's your name?"

"Avess," he said. "I'm ten years old, and I'm brave and strong!" Sparrow laughed lightly.

"Well then, Avess, welcome to the Rebels. I'm sure you'll make a great addition to the team." He puffed up his chest proudly. Sparrow stood.

"As of right now, we're the only Rebels out there," she said to her new team. "What we do now is gather more allies, from more terras. Get them to trust us. When our numbers are better, we strike at the heart of Cyclonia, and watch it all come tumbling down." She pounded her fist into the palm of her hand for emphasis, then looked around at the fading sunlight. Avess yawned, and Sparrow smiled.

"But first, let's make camp." After gathering wood, they managed to light a small fire near the skimmers. Avess fell asleep leaning against Sparrow, who put her arm around him to keep him warm. He already trusted her entirely. She smiled to herself as she saw Carmine holding Robin protectively while she slept, and knew she had good allies to start. She lay down, pulling Avess close to her to keep him warm, and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Well? What did you all think? Yes, the Storm Hawks will definitely be in this story. Have no fear. But as of right now, you now have a bit of a lead on how the Rebels came to be. If you liked it, please tell me in a review! Or a PM. But I prefer reviews. Please and thank you, and I'll see you all next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

"My name is Avess!"

"Avess, you're not supposed to tell them your name yet!"

"Whoops. Sorry, Sparrow."

Sparrow chuckled lightly and stood from her position on her knees, facing Avess. She looked at the crowd- two people. They were on Terra Gale, trying to recruit the only two inhabitants of the terra, Wren and his granddaughter, Dove. Wren looked nervous, while Dove had a determined gleam in her eye. She stepped forward.

"I will join your rebel group, Sparrow," she said in her thick accent. "I do not know about my grandfather, but I have been waiting for an opportunity like zis for a long time. Now that it has finally come-"

"Dove!" Wren interjected. "Are you sure about zis? It will be très dangereaux!"

"I can manage, grandfather. Do not worry about me." She gently kissed his cheek, then walked up to Sparrow. "Let us go." Sparrow nodded and led her to the skimmer. Dove's eyebrows raised.

"Why do you drive a Cyclonian ride?" She asked suspiciously.

"I stole it from them," she said. "After the fall of the Sky Knights. It was easy- the other team took the other ride. Now get on, we've got a long ride." She climbed on the seat, and Avess hopped into her lap. He was like a little puppy- he would follow her anywhere now. Dove climbed on behind her and, with a final wave and a smile to her grandfather, they took off.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

They soon landed on the terra they had stayed on the night before- but when Sparrow was coming in for the landing, she realized they weren't alone. At least twenty people, all of them total strangers, were gathered in a group, talking to each other. Sparrow, incredibly confused, walked up to them.

"Um... Who are you people?" She asked, penetrating the crowd and walking to the center. A small circle formed around her as the people looked at her. One man, a tall guy with a medium build who looked to he in his late twenties, stepped forward.

"My name is Finch," he said. "We're the recruits from Terra Fandra."

"And where are the two who recruited you?" She asked. How could they just drop them off and leave?

"Oh, they're getting the rest of the recruits. They should be back soon."

Her eyebrows raised, but she nodded slowly, then turned as the sound of an engine filled the air. Robin and Carmine came in for a landing- with three other people on their skimmer, struggling to stay stable. Sparrow ran over and helped the youngest person- a little girl of merely seven years old- off of the ride. The woman who followed picked the girl up and held her close.

"It's okay, Lexi. We're safe now," she whispered to the little girl, who buried her face in her mother's hair. The man, who Sparrow assumed to be the woman's husband and the girl's father, walked up to them and wrapped his arm gently around his wife's small waist. She looked at Carmine and Robin.

"We went to a relatively crowded terra," Carmine said. "People wanted to help. Sorry we took so long, it took about ten trips with two extras on each trip-"

"Doesn't matter," she said, looking at the crowd of people. "Are they all really here to help?"

Carmine nodded. Sparrow's face broke into a large grin, and she hugged Carmine, then Robin. "This is fantastic! This is the addition we need! Thank you!"

"Um, Sparrow?" Robin spoke up. "You're the leader of the Rebels. You might want to talk to them or something."

"Right. Thanks." She walked up and got the crowd's attention by standing on a box.

"HEY!" She yelled, successfully getting them all to look at her. She surveyed the group- there were men and women, their ages ranging from seven years old to what looked like fifty. Definitely a mixed crowd, but that was good.

"My name is Sparrow," she said confidently. "I'm the leader of the Rebels. Welcome to our little group. From here on out, you're all officially part of the team. Our goal is to take down Cyclonia once and for all- our Sky Knights have all been captured, their squadrons disbanded and scattered across the Atmos. If we can find as many of these squadron members as possible, that would be fantastic. Together, we're going to bring about the fall of Cyclonia!" The crowd erupted into cheers as Sparrow smiled. "Now I want everyone to get up and introduce themselves. We're still relatively small, and it'd be best if everyone knows everyone. I'll start." She put her right hand on her hip. "I'm Sparrow, I'm sixteen years old, and I hate spiders." She cringed. "Your name, your age, and a random fact about you to make it fun." She stepped down as Carmine stepped up.

"Carmine, age eighteen, and I love silent movies." He shrugged as the crowd chuckled. Robin walked up.

"Robin, thirteen, and I can ride a unicycle." The crowd laughed harder, more genuinely. Robin smiled and stepped down as Avess stepped up.

"I'm Avess, I'm ten, and I'm the greatest warrior you'll ever see!" He said proudly. The crowd chuckled, and as he stepped down, a man with blonde hair and blue eyes stepped up. Sparrow's eyes widened.

"Finn. Seventeen. Sharpshooter of the Storm Hawks."

**Yes, I had Dove and her grandpa converse in French a little, because their accents are French-sounding to me. If I'm wrong, well... You can take it out on me later. I started running out of bird names to name people, so you'll start seeing regular names like Lexi and Jared now.**

**I hope you all enjoyed that evil cliffhanger. It was fun to write. More coming soon, and I hope more people will read AND REVIEW, because reviews mean the world to me. Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I hope you all enjoyed my little cliffhanger at the end of that chapter. Thank you to **_**all **_**readers and reviewers, and I hope you enjoy reading Chapter Three.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the Storm Hawks. I do, however, own my own oc's.**

"Has Junko contacted you, Finn?"

"No. None of them have."

"Do you know where any of them are?"

"Junko and Radarr, no. I'm assuming Stork went down with the Condor. Aerrow's in prison on Terra Zartacla, with that idiot of a prison guard, Moss."

"And Piper?"

"…dead."

Sparrow had been interrogating Finn for the last half hour on what he knew about the other squadrons and Sky Knights that were still out there. She stopped when her last question was answered and searched his eyes in the dim light of the fire they sat next to. The blue orbs, usually sparkling with life and laughter, were filled with sadness. He looked down at the grass beneath him.

"Cyclonis pushed her off a terra on the Far Side," he said slowly. "We searched for days, but never found her body."

"I know," was Sparrow's reply. Finn's head shot up, and his eyes met hers.

"How could you possibly know that?" he asked. "We never told anyone. Aerrow asked us not to." His eyes narrowed slightly.

"Cyclonis announced her death and the defeat of the Storm Hawks to the entire Atmos when she returned from the Far Side," she said. "Everyone got upset when they heard about Piper. Cyclonis nearly had a full-scale rebellion on her hands." She gave him a small smile. She didn't care if anyone disagreed with her on this, but she was a _great_ liar.

Finn stared at her, blue eyes searching hazel, and then shook his head as if to clear the storm of his mind. "Yeah," he said quietly. "That makes sense. It sounds like something she would do." Sparrow nodded, and Finn raised his eyes and looked at the stars.

"Losing Piper was huge," he said. "We found out really fast that we couldn't function without her. We almost didn't make it back from the Far Side without her. Even Aerrow wasn't much help with that, but that's understandable. He was in love with her. They had been dating for three months when she died. As far as I know, he still loves her." Sparrow nodded in understanding.

"I'm sorry," she said. "But I'm glad you're here. You can help me." Finn nodded weakly, hoping she didn't notice the tears forming in his eyes. Although they had fought all the time, Piper had been like Finn's sister, and he would have done anything to protect her. He just wished he had gotten the chance to tell her that.

Unfortunately for Finn, Sparrow _did_ notice the tears, but pretended not to. Most of the Rebels had fallen asleep, scattered around three or four camp fires. Sparrow smiled as she saw Avess curled up next to Carmine.

"Get some rest," she said to Finn. "You've had a long day, and we've got one tomorrow."

"Why?" he asked. "What's tomorrow?"

"Recruiting," she responded. "I'm not stopping until our little band of outcasts is an _army _against Cyclonia. And I know you won't, either." She smiled when a mischievous grin crossed his face. He lay down on the ground and shut his eyes, falling asleep almost instantly. Sparrow laid down as well, her arms behind her head, and stared up at the constellations.

Her parents were up there, somewhere, as was her little sister. They had been killed by Cyclonians when she was only eight. She smiled slightly, thinking about how she was going to avenge their deaths with her new mission. She wanted to take Cyclonia down, starting with its roots: the Master herself. She smiled sadistically, thinking about new ways to take her down, and slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

In the morning, Sparrow was the first one awake. She looked around at the others, and decided to take the trip on her own. She pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and scrawled a quick note.

'_Left for Terra Bogaton to recruit the scientists, should be back soon. List of terras to visit today on 2__nd__ skimmer- divide and conquer! Love, Sparrow'_

She almost set the note on the ground next to Avess- but decided to be cruel. She put the note instead on Finn's face. He almost blew it off, due to the heavy snoring. Sparrow held in a giggle and got on her skimmer, taking off for Terra Bogaton.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Ready, Avess?"

"Ready, Carmine!"

"Okay, go!"

Avess, a bright and amused grin on his face, took two steps back, and then launched himself onto Finn's stomach. The older boy's eyes popped open wide, and he gasped, the note falling off of his face. His face turned bright red. "What the-"

Carmine and Avess fell on the ground laughing as Finn sat up, groaning with pain. "Not… cool…" He breathed in and out, then smiled and grabbed Avess, tickling him until he was on the ground, doubled over with laughter. He smiled, satisfied, and noticed the note that had fallen off his face. He picked it up.

"What's it say?" Carmine asked, hoisting Avess to his feet.

"_Left for Terra Bogaton to recruit the scientists, should be back soon. List of terras to visit today on 2__nd__ skimmer- divide and conquer! Love, Sparrow." _He smiled. "Aww. She loves us already."

Carmine chuckled. "Yeah, that's Sparrow for you." He gently ruffled Avess's hair. "Even Avess fell for her on the first day. He thinks she's pretty." Avess blushed vividly, and Finn just laughed.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Sparrow finally stood, breathing rapidly, and smiled. Dirt covered her face, along with multiple scratches and a long cut on her arm. She didn't mind. She almost started laughing as she watched the Raptors run away from her, scared half to death. They had gotten into a fierce battle over the terra. It had been six on one, but somehow, Sparrow had come out victorious. She watched them run, laughing as their leader stumbled over his own tail. A low, loud creaking filled the air around her, and she turned to see the gate of the fortress known to hold the scientists of Terra Bogaton slowly opening.

The scientists, one by one, peeked out, and slowly came to her. One looked at her quizzically, and she knew what they wanted to know.

"I'm a rebel leader against Cyclonia," she said. "I've actually come here to ask if you will join me. I've got a whole group of people behind me, and-"

"Stop," one of the scientists said, stepping forward. "You saved our terra, and got the Raptors to leave. There is no doubt that Repton will tell Master Cyclonis about you… but we would be happy to join you after what you've done for us." He looked at his fellow scientists. "You could use our inventions to protect yourself, and defend yourself against Cyclonia." He smiled at her. "If there's anything you need before we go…"

She looked around the terra, thinking, and then smiled. "Well… there is… _one_ thing we could really use… but it's pretty big…" She looked back at the scientist hopefully. He smiled.

"We have more than enough resources to help you with whatever you need," he said in his reptilian voice. "Now, what exactly _is _it that you need?"

Sparrow smiled.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Back on the terra the Rebels now lived on, five teams had been sent out to different terras to recruit more members. Finn had been told it was best for him to not recruit anyone, because people seeing him would cause an uproar and attract attention from Cyclonians. However, he was still bored, so he had to satisfy his craving for adventure with flying the teams out to the different terras on the skimmer. It was a boring job, flying back and forth between the terras, but it was a job nonetheless, and Finn was happy to have it. Almost everyone was off the terra and out recruiting, including Carmine, who was the closest to Finn's age.

In short, he was feeling a bit lonely.

Lying at the edge of the terra, he sighed, throwing a small twig off the edge and following its journey to the Wastelands with his mind. He missed his team, especially Piper. Although they had fought all the time about stupid things like music and movies, he had loved her like a sister. Heck, he still did. He missed the old days of hanging around the Condor with his friends, playing pranks on them and playing his music a little too loudly and fighting with Junko over food.

But now they were gone. Piper was dead, and he didn't know where the rest of them were, save for Aerrow, whom he knew was in prison. He sighed, his heart aching for them, when suddenly, a loud buzzing made him jump. He looked around, and then, realizing what made the noise, picked up and turned on his radio.

"Hello?" he said. A voice crackled in, sounding happy.

"Finn!" it was Carmine. "I need you to bring the skimmer. I've got three new members here, and I have to get them back fast."

Finn nodded. "Okay, I'll track your location and be there soon."

"Thanks, man. Be careful."

"You too, Carmine." He turned off the radio and walked over to the skimmer, sitting in the seat and glaring at the controls. He hated Cyclonian rides. He hated Cyclonians. He hated anything that had anything at all to do with Cyclonia or Master Cyclonis herself. She was to blame for things being the way they were at the present. He shook his head and started up the skimmer, heading for Carmine.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

A few hours later, all of the Rebels were on the abandoned terra. A cool, crisp wind blew over them, making the grass sway gently in the sunset. Everyone was relatively happy and relaxed, except for four people.

Carmine, Robin, Avess, and Finn were at the edge of the terra, looking into the distance for any sign of their leader. She had left for Terra Bogaton early that morning and still hadn't returned, and they were beginning to worry. Finn shivered as the breeze gave him goosebumps. He sighed.

"Why has she been gone for so long?" he asked. "Terra Bogaton is only an hour away by skimmer. It couldn't have taken this long for her to talk to them and come back." Carmine shrugged.

"I dunno," he said. "Maybe she ran into trouble…"

Avess sniffled. He was worried about Sparrow already. "Should we go look for her?" He asked quietly. Finn shook his head.

"Not yet," he said. "If she's not back by dark, Carmine and I will go to Bogaton and look for her. Until then, we-"

He was stopped mid-sentence by an uproar from the Rebels. The four looked at each other, then ran back to the others, just in time to see them pointing at the sky and gasping. Finn looked around at them, and then followed the direction their fingers were pointing in and looked at the sky. His eyes widened in shock.

Coming out of the clouds was a massive battleship, complete with blasters all over it. It was huge, yet shaped so it had the aerodynamic factor and cut smoothly through the air currents and clouds. Finn glared, positive it was Cyclonians coming to attack them and destroy the terra, when something made him stop. He squinted at the window that showed the bridge. At the controls was a young girl, wearing a white shirt and black pants with black boots. Blonde hair fell in waves to the middle of her back, and hazel eyes sparkled with life.

Sparrow.

He smiled as he watched the ship land and the ramp descend to the ground. A door opened, and Sparrow stepped onto it, walking towards the ground. The Rebels cheered for her, glad she had finally returned. The Bogaton scientists stepped out next, timidly following in her footsteps and grinning when they received applause. She strode right to the box she had stood on before and stepped up, a wide grin on her face.

"Rebels," she said, loudly and clearly. "Today, as I can see, we have many new recruits. I would like to welcome all of you to the Rebels. My name's Sparrow, and I'm the leader." A small round of applause left a smile on her face. "Also, we have made some powerful new allies. I would like to present to you: the scientists of Terra Bogaton!"

The Rebels went nuts, cheering and yelling for the scientists, who were blushing and waving. Sparrow grabbed their attention again.

"The scientists made this ship for us to use on our journey to take Cyclonia down," she said. "Instead of being stuck on this little terra, with only two skimmers, we have an airship. This is the advancement we needed to show people we're serious. That we're not just some ragtag little group of people that don't like Cyclonia. _This _is the second step to becoming the force we aim for." She smiled. "Enough talk. We've got a battleship to explore!" The crowd cheered and ran aboard the ship, excited to explore their new home. Sparrow stepped off the box and picked it up. Avess ran up and hugged her.

"You're okay!" he said excitedly. Sparrow knelt down and hugged him back.

"Of course I am!" she said, a smile lighting up her face. "It's me, I can get out of anything." She stood, holding Avess's hand. He noticed the bandage wrapped around her arm. "What happened?"

Finn, Carmine, and Robin all looked at her arm. Sparrow just rolled her eyes.

"A little run-in with Repton and the raptors. I'm alright." She smiled at him, but Finn frowned.

"Wait, it was you against the Raptors? Sparrow, that's a six on one fight, how did you survive?" he asked, concerned. She was about to respond when a voice behind them responded for her.

"She's skilled," the voice said. It was young and female, but surprisingly cold and serious. They all turned to face the owner of the voice.

A young girl, about sixteen, stood behind them, a long knife strapped to her belt. It had become too dark to see her face and specific features about her, but just her prescence was a bit intimidating to everyone but Sparrow.

"Who're you?" Sparrow asked. Her staff- the one she used in every battle she was in- was hooked to her belt loop. Her hand rested on it, ready for a fight. The girl took a small step forward into the light of the ship.

"My name is Nightingale."

**New character! Nightingale's description is coming in the next chapter, but I must publicly say: Nightingale is NOT my oc. She is my friend's oc, and my friend gave me permission to use her in the story.**

**Actually, she **_**asked**_** me to use her in the story.**

**Wow. Final word count: 2,575. This is the longest chapter I've ever written, for **_**anything**_**. Six pages. I'm so proud of myself.**

**Please review! I have a couple regular reviewers, and I love you two to pieces, but it'd be really nice to know who else is reading this story! Constructive criticism is appreciated and welcome! Make sure you tell people about this story, because I feel like it's floundering… hope to see you next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

In the warm, yellow lights of the new battleship, the small group could see Nightingale's features. She was very pale, practically white, and had scarlet hair. Finn compared it to Aerrow's hair. They were very similar. Her eyes were scarlet, too, which made her look intimidating, but not quite evil. Her lips were as red as her hair.

"My name is Nightingale," she repeated, taking another step forward and holding out her hand to Sparrow. "I'm your new co-leader."

"Wait, _what_?" Sparrow asked, shocked as she slowly shook Nightingale's hand.

"Sparrow is our _only_ leader," Carmine said. "What right do you have to come in here and just-"

"A monarchy will only send you tumbling down," Nightingale said calmly. "You need someone by your side."

"I _have_ someone by my side," Sparrow argued back. "Four people, actually." She gestured to Carmine, Robin, Avess, and Finn. "Carmine, Robin, and Avess have been with me the longest. They were the first to join the Rebels, so I trust them more than I trust newcomers."

"And what about the blonde?" She asked. "Finn's your name, right?" Finn nodded with a glare.

"Obviously you already know who he is," Sparrow said. "Finn has battle experience. He lived with the Storm Hawks for three years. He's a part of the best Sky Knight squadron in the Atmos, even if they _have_ been disbanded. I trust his judgement."

"From what I've heard, he's reckless," Nightingale said. "He makes rash decisions and doesn't focus on work."

"That was the old me," Finn said quietly. "Before the Cyclonians won. I'm different now."

Nightingale turned to the ship and began surveying it. "You'll have to fly low, just underneath the cloud level," she said, "or the Cyclonians will make note of your ship and attack it whenever they can. It's easy to spot."

"I know that," Sparrow said. She didn't like this girl, not at all. Still... Nightingale had good judgement. She was intimidating, and looked like she knew how to fight. And Sparrow had a policy of letting anyone who wanted to join the Rebels in. Sparrow sighed.

"Let's get inside, guys," she said. They all began to walk, and suddenly, Sparrow stopped and turned.

"Nightingale, are you coming or not?" She asked. Nightingale hadn't moved. She was waiting to see if Sparrow would notice, and smiled when she did. She jogged forward and caught up with them as they walked onto the ship.

* * *

A smile broke out on Sparrow's face when she looked at their expressions the moment they entered the ship. They looked amazed- the thing was huge. The ramp led them into the massive hangar bay, where there were at least thirty skimmers waiting to be used for the first time. As she led them through the halls to the bridge , they happened to pass the weaponry room, and Finn took a peek inside.

Weapons of every kind lined the walls. Everything from small knives that were easy to conceal to huge swords that Finn probably couldn't even lift. He immediately went to the archery section of the wall and looked at all the different types of bows. There were regular bows and crossbows, and his eyes scanned over the crossbows. There were so many, all different sizes and colors, but as his eyes reached one, he froze and stared at it.

The bow itself was primarily silver, but had red and blue accents. A face was painted on at the end, and three lenses at the top would help the user focus. It was a bit scratched up, but not broken at all, and had been polished to shine.

It was his old crossbow.

A hand rested on his shoulder, and as he turned, he saw it was Sparrow's.

"How did you find it?" He whispered, staring at the slightly younger girl.

"I actually found it on Terra Atmosia," she said. "In the woods, when I was walking around one day. You must have dropped it from your skimmer after the battle." He nodded as he reached out and took it off the wall.

"I can't believe this," he said. He held it up like he was going to shoot and peered through the focuses. They were crystal-clear and magnified everything perfectly.

"I hope you don't mind," she said, "but I tested it out a little. I brought it with me when I went to Bogaton today, and they fixed it up for you. It works perfectly. Even if you weren't here, I would have gotten it fixed, so you could have it when we freed the Atmos." He set the crossbow down and suddenly pulled her close to him, enveloping her in a hug. He had no words- this crossbow meant the world to him.

"Thank you," he choked out. Sparrow nodded and pulled out of the hug.

"Don't lose it," she said with a smile. A look of remembrance suddenly crossed her face. "Oh!" She pulled him to another part of the wall, where blades were kept, and took two twin blades off the wall.

"Are those..." He asked quietly, and she nodded.

"Aerrow dropped them near yours, actually. I haven't found Junko's Knuckle Busters yet, and I'm pretty sure the Condor was Stork's weapon." He smiled and took them off the wall.

"Sparrow, you're incredible," he said, looking at Aerrow's energy blades. He then looked at her. "I swear, you're gonna be the one to change the Atmos." She blushed and looked at her feet.

"This is actually really weird for me," she said. "I'm not used to any positions of power. I'm usually more of a second-in-command kind of person. Or, at least, I used to be."

"Looks like I'm not the only one who's changed because of this war," he said, looking lovingly at his bow. He then rested his hand on her shoulder.

"You're gonna do great," he said. "You've definitely got Sky Knight qualities in you. Cyclonis _hates_ people like you." Sparrow nodded. "I know," she said. "That's why beating her is gonna be so rewarding." '_That's not the only reason_,' she thought to herself. The two began walking out of the weaponry room towards the bridge. Carmine, Robin, Avess, and Nightingale stood there, along with a scientist. Sparrow walked to the controls.

"Who's ready for our first night in the air?" She asked. Turning the key on the ship, the engine rumbled to life. The ramp lifted off the ground and retracted into the ship, the hangar bay doors closed, and the ship lifted into the air. Sparrow watched out the window and smiled.

The Rebels were ready to fly.

* * *

**SO SORRY for the late update. I've been busy, but I'll work on updating faster, I promise! I don't own Storm Hawks. Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

With the number of people they had now, there were enough rooms on the ship for everyone to have two, plus their own bathroom. _'The Condor only had two bathrooms,' _Finn thought as he strode through the halls of the ship. It was late at night, at least 11:30. Everyone else had already gone to sleep. He couldn't stop looking at his crossbow, and refused to put it down. It reminded him of a time when things were better, of when he, Aerrow, Radarr, and Piper first banded together to become the Storm Hawks.

_Piper._

Her name sent a pang of longing so strong he had to stop walking and put his hand against the wall for support. He missed her immensely, and the image of her getting pushed off the side of Terra Atmosia flashed into his mind. Pain, intense emotional pain, filled his chest and he sank to the ground, arms crossed over his stomach as he realized the position he was in.

Piper, his little sister, the girl who chased him around the Condor when she was mad and made him sandcakes and put up with his childish antics, was dead. There hadn't even been anything left to bury. They hadn't been able to find her body. Aerrow's brokenhearted face filled his vision next. He hated seeing his best friend, his _brother_, in so much pain. He had lost the girl he loved with everything he was. He had once told Finn, as they stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the bridge of the Condor, a week after Piper's death, that he would have given anything to have her back.

_"I… I need her, Finn," Aerrow said blankly, staring out at the clouds. "I need her here, with me… I would give anything, anything in the world, if I could just have her back…"_

_"We all need her, buddy," Finn said, trying to reassure him. "And you always have her in your heart."_

_"That's not enough for me."_

Now Finn had to deal with his missing team alone. Piper was dead, Aerrow was in prison, Junko was… god knows where, by now… And Stork was probably dead as well. There was no way he would have left the Condor. A good pilot always goes down with his ship. Radarr… he didn't even know where the little guy had gone.

Three years. As he stood again, those three years flashed before his eyes. Every moment Piper had gotten mad at him, or Aerrow told him not to miss, or his skimmer had been destroyed. Every time he and Junko raided the refrigerator together, or stole food from Radarr, or convinced Stork that the ship was infested with mindworms. More than anything in the world, he wanted his old life back. He wanted to be a teenager again, not this adult he was forced to become too quickly. It wasn't fair.

He finally focused on a small light, coming from the open door at the end of the hallway. It wavered and flickered, like a crystal being used in the dark. He slowly stepped towards it, looking into the doorway of the room as he arrived.

Nightingale sat on her desk, using a small yellow crystal to shed light on the book she was reading. She hadn't noticed him standing there as she turned a page. Finn watched her silently. The light looked like candlelight, flickering off of the features of her face. Her cheekbones were high, her chin sharp and defined, but somehow gentle at the same time. Her eyebrows were thin and high, her nose just large enough, but not too small, either. Her lips were full. She was, in Finn's opinion, not just hot, as were the girls he had hit on when he was younger. She wasn't simply pretty. She was beautiful. He sighed, and then suddenly tensed, praying he hadn't been heard.

"There's no need to pretend I didn't just hear that," came her voice, and he sighed again. "I've known you were there for five full minutes. Are you going to come in or not?"

Finn hesitantly took a step into her room. Nightingale set her book aside, marking the page, and stood to face him.

"Are you quite finished staring?" A blush spread across his cheeks, and he silently thanked the darkness for being there to conceal his red face.

"Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. He had never felt this awkward around a girl before. Nightingale gestured for him to sit on the side of her bed, and he accepted the offer, sitting carefully on the neatly-made bed. She perched yet again on the desk.

"I heard you fall in the hallway," she said plainly. Finn raised an eyebrow and sat up straight.

"If you heard me fall, why didn't you come to help?" he asked, a bit insulted. Shouldn't she have come to help him? To comfort him, at least?

"I didn't want to," she said simply, and shrugged. "Why did you fall over?"

"I…" he trailed off. He barely knew Nightingale, and he was about to reveal his most emotional side to her. The things he was most sensitive about. He wasn't ready to talk about that stuff to _anyone_ yet.

"I just got a little lightheaded," he said, deciding quickly on a simple lie.

"Oh, did you?" she asked, sounding vaguely uninterested. "Did you eat dinner?"

"Yeah."

"What did you eat?"

"Spaghetti."

"Did you eat a _lot_?"

"No, not really."

"Have you used hairspray lately? Breathing in the fumes can make people dizzy."

"What?" The question threw him off guard. "Why would I have hairspray?"

"You seem like a boy who likes his hair. Why wouldn't you have hairspray with you?"

"Because I'm not obsessed with my hair."

"Ah, of course. How could I think that?" she rolled her eyes. "I'm so stupid. So how many pieces of steak did you have tonight?"

"Two."

"I thought you had spaghetti."

He looked up at her. She had played him, and he had walked right into it. She smirked at him in the low light.

"Don't lie to me," she said, getting off of her desk as he stood from the bed. "It usually won't end well for you. Goodnight." She closed the door, and he found himself in a dark hallway. She had pushed him out without him even knowing.

And he was impressed.

* * *

It all started with an explosion. One explosion that had Junko underground, sheltering young Wallop children from falling debris and trying to calm them. When he had returned to Terra Wallop, the community of Wallop leaders had welcomed him home. He had told his story to them around a fire. He choked up at least four times, but they all understood. Junko was young, and he had been through much. He was immediately stationed as a member of the Wallop Council, and helped make many of the important decisions concerning the well-being of those on the terra and the fight against the Cyclonians.

But he was overruled in only one way. He had wanted to be among those who fought the Cyclonians when the terra was attacked. But Junko would be recognized. If the Cyclonians found out he was there, he would be captured and killed. He was outnumbered completely, with everyone else on the Wallop Council voting he stay hidden during a raid. He had complied silently. Every time there was a raid, he would herd the children into the safe house underground and keep them there until he was given the all-clear. Then he would lead them out and see what he needed to help fix.

But this explosion was different. He had seen the Cyclonians coming and began getting the children underground when a Cyclonian ship fired its blasters. The strange thing about _this _explosion…

_That ship fired at one of its own._

A Cyclonian ship had fired at another ship in the fleet, causing it to explode and begin smoking as it plummeted to the Wastelands. And it kept firing. It had taken out four other battleships before the others realized what was going on and turned on it. Junko watched as individual skimmers flew out of one of the many hangar bays of the offending ship, spreading out to each Cyclonian ship at once.

He barely had time to make it underground as the safe house entrance collapsed.

* * *

They stormed the ships. Each member of the Rebels had a specific plan to follow, and although they were few, they were strong. At the same time, each of the Cyclonian ships fell to the Wastelands, the Talons inside getting out just in time to deploy their parachutes. They couldn't radio back to Cyclonia for help, however- Sparrow, with help from a man named Miner, who was surprisingly good with viruses, sent a virus through the Cyclonian radio channel, cutting out each and every one of the Talons' radio signals, ensuring that no one would know about their arrival until it was too late to stop them.

One person per ship. That was their plan. One skimmer, one person, and just enough time. In each ship, the Rebel would land in the hangar bay, sneak quickly through the air vents- Cyclonian air vents were notoriously large- to the control room, and fight their way to the controls. From there, they would send the ship into a freefall and jump out of the window, where a second team of Rebels on skimmers would be waiting to catch their parachuting allies.

It was the perfect plan. And, for once, one of Sparrow's plans worked to perfection. Everyone did as they were instructed, and by the time the last cruiser landed in the Wastelands, each member of Sparrow's team was safely on their way back up to their stolen ship. Sparrow herself, however, and a few select teammates- including Nightingale and Finn- were flying down to the terra itself. A Cyclonian attack meant new recruits. As they landed, Wallops gathered around them. Adults, children, men, women- everyone was there. Sparrow stood on top of her skimmer wing once it was landed, immediately commanding the attention of every Wallop there.

"Hey," she began. Always begin a speech with a casual remark- it sets the crowd at ease. And, as she expected, a low chuckle ran through the crowd. A small smirk crossed her face and she continued her speech.

"My name is Sparrow," she said. "I'm not a Sky Knight. I'm the leader of this group, called the Rebels." She met each and every one of the Wallops' eyes as she spoke, her voice loud and clear. "We don't have a lot of members yet, but that's why we're here. I understand Cyclonia broke their pact with you?"

"Yeah!" the head Wallop called out. Sparrow's eyes flashed to him. "They swore we wouldn't be targeted and they lied to us! DOWN WITH CYCLONIA!"

Cheers rose from the crowd. They all felt betrayed, unwanted by Cyclonia. And now, a terra full of angry Wallops was supporting Sparrow's cause. She grinned.

"I'm glad you feel that way," she continued. "I understand you're skeptical about the ship we arrived in. It's Cyclonian, yes, but it's stolen. A friend of mine, named Miner, destroyed the ship's tracking beacon, so Cyclonia can't track the cruiser. We have everything we need to survive and continue recruiting members to the team until we're strong enough to take down Cyclonia once and for all. So, now I ask you all… who wants to be a Rebel?"

A cheer rose from every Wallop in the crowd. Sparrow felt that familiar rush of excitement. She was inspiring them, and she knew it. She got this feeling whenever she did. Suddenly, the cheers stopped as one Wallop pushed to the front of the crowd. Everyone stared at Junko as he stood in front of Sparrow, but didn't look at her. He was looking next to her, to a man standing on the ground.

Everyone's eyes flicked back and forth between Finn and Junko.

"Junko?" Finn whispered, his voice dripping with disbelief at seeing one of his best friends alive. Alive, well, and standing right in front of him, with that same look of shock painted on his face.

"Finn?" Junko whispered. He couldn't even hear his own voice coming out. He took a small step towards his blonde-haired friend, and suddenly they were hugging, not even caring who was watching. Both of them were crying, though neither of them cared at all. Sparrow smiled softly and leapt deftly down from the skimmer wing, absorbing into the front of the crowd to watch the reunion. Finn didn't want to let go of Junko- he was a piece of the past that Finn had found again. And he wasn't ready to let go of his past.

Junko was among the recruits. He rode on Finn's skimmer back to the Cyclonian cruiser, and Finn demanded they get rooms somewhat near each other. He knew the way he was acting was childish, but Finn was a child at heart, and Sparrow knew it. She complied with his request, and watched them run off down the hallway like they did in the old days. She sighed and turned to a map as the ship took off, holding the weight of 40 new Rebels.

Two down. Three to go.

* * *

**I am SOOO sorry for the late update! I made this chapter extra long to make up for the time. I hope you all enjoyed! Please review! P. S. I don't own Storm Hawks.**


End file.
